Minority leader announces fifth term parliamentary bid

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South has formally announced that he will seek reelection in 2020 to continue to represent the people of the area in the country’s legislature.

He said, “I cherished the opportunity to have served you for these years and I will cherish some additional opportunity in terms of prolonging my service to the people of Ghana and Tamale South Constituency as MP. Therefore, come 2020, I will run formally as MP for Tamale South.”

He added that “So this should bring to rest all the speculation about Haruna’s political future. The other part of my future is in God’s hands.”

Mr Iddrisu announced his re-election bid on Friday when he inaugurated a rural electrification project at Tangni, a community in the Tamale South Constituency.

The extension of electricity to the Tangni community means that all communities in the Tamale South Constituency are now connected to the national grid, a pledge by the MP, which has been fulfilled.

Mr. Iddrisu, who is currently serving his fourth consecutive term as MP for Tamale South, also served in three different Cabinet Ministerial portfolios as Minister for Communications, Trade and Industry, and Employment and Labour Relations from 2009 to January 2017, and winning the 2020 Parliamentary elections will make him a fifth term MP.

He thanked the constituents saying “I hold the mandate to serve the people of Tamale South with humility and dignity and dedicated service. I want to use this opportunity to profoundly thank the people of Tamale South, they remain a tower of strength to me and unwavering support.”

He dared anyone wishing to challenge his re-election bid saying “Am sure any candidate within the NDC and without the NDC to the New Patriotic Party can only await a humiliating befitting defeat if they dare want to run for the seat but naturally, am a consummate democrat, we are open to competition.”

Mr. Iddrisu told young ones and others aspiring to be MPs that the NDC remained a party of opportunity and tomorrow should be their opportunity assuring that “I will do anything possible to groom and develop people even to take over from me in the foreseeable future as MP for the area.”

He announced that the NDC Parliamentary caucus had formally requested the National Executives of the NDC to consider early parliamentary primaries for the party to consider nominations for all constituencies from April.

He spoke about the government saying it campaigned that it would not borrow adding “as at December 27, Ghana’s debt increased by over 124 billion Ghana Cedis” urging the government to honour its promises to the people by paying all teacher and nursing trainee allowances and youth employment allowances before the end of the year.

Alhaji Mumuni Alhassan, MP for Salaga South praised Mr. Iddrisu for his leadership qualities saying he had been guiding many of them, who were young MPs.

Alhaji Ibrahim Mobila, Northern Regional Chairman of NDC called for hard work to ensure that the party increased its vote margins in the constituency to clinch victory in the Presidential elections in 2020.

Residents of Tangni expressed appreciation to Mr. Iddrisu for honouring his pledge by extending electricity to their community.